Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Comic Books On Students' Reading Attitudes, Sheila Lambert

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Two Teaching Methodologies In A Middle School Algebra Classroom, Kristina L. Tucky

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This study was an attempt to determine if a change in teaching methodology would have a positive effect on the outcome, as measured by a chapter test, of an algebra class. The research involved a pretest-posttest control group design of two sections of an eighth grade algebra class. The control group received the standard instructional practice, known as the "direct method", while the treatment group received the same "direct method" and additional "constructive" methodology in the form of manipulatives and group reading of the subject matter. No statistical difference was found between the means of the two classes on the …

Recruitment In Augsburg College's Theatre Arts Department, Bethany J. Bierman

Theses and Graduate Projects

Many factors influence a prospective college student's final college decision. As Augsburg College seeks to grow its theatre department, the question of what matters most to prospective theatre students is especially timely. This project seeks to answer the question, "'What factors make the largest impact in attracting and matriculating theatre majors to Augsburg College?" One-on-one interviews were conducted with current Augsburg theatre students. These in-depth conversations provided insight into the effectiveness of various recruiting methods and identified untapped recruitment opportunities. The research confirmed that the theatre department's early, deliberate, and multi-faceted recruitment strategies directly impact students' interest in and decision …

Of "Illustrators," "Narrators," "Editors," And "Readers": Describing Relations Between Significantly Disabled Students And Their Peers, Srikala Naraian

Dissertations

This paper interweaves several theoretical strands—disability studies, narrative theories, and sociocultural perspectives on learning—both as a means to understand current practice in the education of students with significant disabilities as well as to envisage other forms of participation for them. The aims of the study are derived from the argument made by Ferguson (2003) that the narratives of others in the lives of severely disabled individuals are critical to the formation of their identities. Appropriating this idea to the classroom, this study explores the notion that the narratives of classroom peers are vital to the participation of the severely disabled …

Transition Activities And Their Effects On Middle School Students, Vicki Sue Vanlaere

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness that transitional activities have on student achievement and attendance when students moved from elementary school to middle school. The data were gathered from two school districts that are demographically similar. Data included average daily attendance rates, Terra Nova Achievement Scores from social studies in grades five, six, and seven, as well as math in grades five, six, and seven. There were 187 students in the Treatment Group and 147 in the Control Group for a total of 334 students. Comparison of means for demographic equivalency of the groups (t-test) and …

The Impact Of A Ninth- And Tenth-Grade Academy Program On Student Attendance, Discipline, And Achievement, Sandra Wooten

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an Academy Program on freshman and sophomore attendance, suspensions out of school, PLAN and PSAT scores, and the number of students retained in ninth and tenth grades. With the Academy Program at Gaffney High School, the amount of time spent in mathematics and English language arts classes was doubled, staff development was provided, instructional methods were changed, data was analyzed to modify instruction, and successes were celebrated. School data from two years before and two years after implementation were examined to determine whether any significant differences existed. Results …

The Relationship Between Work Motivation And Leadership Practices Among Graduates Of A Master's Degree Program, Marjorie Dowd

All Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between work motivation and leadership practices among graduates of a master's degree program in education administration and supervision. The study was conducted in an effort to produce information relevant to the human resources practices of secondary school administrators and to identify potential professional development topics for school districts and college training programs. Data were collected through a quantitative research methodology. First, the study sought to determine each participant's work motivation as measured by the Work Motivation Inventory and differences among participant scores on that inventory. Secondly, the study sought to determine each participant's leadership practices …

Preservice Teachers' Procedural And Conceptual Understanding Of Fractions And The Effects Of Inquiry-Based Learning On This Understanding, Hope Marchionda

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT Non-negative rational numbers play a major role in the K-8 curriculum and continue to permeate mathematics content through high school and college in all strands of mathematics. The difficulty that both students and teachers encounter with these concepts is well documented in the literature. This study looked at preservice teacher knowledge and how an alternative means of instruction might improve their conceptual understanding of fractions. To accomplish this task, the study took place in two stages over the course of two semesters. During the first stage, preservice teachers' conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions and their associated algorithms were …

Design Drawing In Instructional Design At Brigham Young University's Center For Instructional Design: A Case Study, S. Todd Stubbs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to compare the use of design drawing in design fields such as architecture, engineering, and industrial design with its use in instructional design (ID). This study was conducted in three parts: first, a review of literature to understand the role and value design drawing plays in non-ID fields; second, a search for design drawing in the literature of ID; and third, observations of actual use of design drawing in ID in the field. For the first part, the literature of design studies was reviewed regarding design drawing. For the second part, the literature review …

Financial Analysis And Fiscal Viability Of Secondary Schools In Mukono District, Uganda, Janet Jeffery Tanner

Theses and Dissertations

Within the worldwide business community, many analysis tools and techniques have evolved to assist in the evaluation and encouragement of financial health and fiscal viability. However, in the educational community, such analysis is uncommon. It has long been argued that educational institutions bear little resemblance to, and should not be treated like, businesses. This research identifies an educational environment where educational institutions are, indeed, businesses, and may greatly benefit from the use of business analyses. The worldwide effort of Education for All (EFA) has focused on primary education, particularly in less developed countries (LDCs). In Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda increased its …

Banking Transactions And Controls Training For Deutsche Bank Operations Employees, Jodi Young

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the development process of the Deutsche Bank Intro to Controls instructional training tool. This course utilizes a multi-faceted, blended approach, including web-based training, simulation, and instructor-led training components to teach complex banking operations. The report includes a literature review describing instructional theories, and strategies concerning the use of a blended approach in the training of complex systems and operations. The report also includes a description of the formative evaluation process and results. These results demonstrated a positive response to the content and instructional strategies employed in the training, as well as the need for future research to …

The Technical College Image In South Carolina, Charles Mclafferty

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT


This dissertation seeks to understand the perceptions of key constituencies (legis¬lators, private and public college and university presidents, and technical college presidents) about technical colleges in South Carolina. It explores the impact of technical colleges in the state and the difficulties that technical colleges face in achieving that impact and adapting to future needs.
Survey instruments were distributed to these key constituencies. Data were reduced via factor analysis, and MANOVA procedures were used to analyze differences among constituencies on the factor scores. Open-ended questions and interviews with select participants illuminated, expanded, and validated the quantitative findings.
There were several …

In-School Suspension: A Qualitative Study Of High School Programs, Joseph M. Boone

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

In-School Suspension (ISS) is the temporary placement of a student experiencing behavior problems in an alternative location within the school or school district. ISS is designed to offset the negative effects of exclusion and external suspension from school. In the ideal situation students assigned to ISS are under school supervision with an academic component provided (Stiefer, 2003).

There are various forms of ISS including: the punitive format which employs strict rule enforcement, the discussion format which includes activities designed to improve self-esteem, communication, and problem solving skills, and the academic model, which focuses on improving skills required to improve academic …

Effects Of Visual Distractions In The Classroom Environment On The Time On Task Of Elementary Students With Adhd, Kate E. S. Harris

Theses & Honors Papers

The focus of this study is to demonstrate that the visual distractions, narrowly defined as wall decoration, in an elementary classroom can be a factor in the amount of time students with ADHD spend on-task in that classroom. This study builds upon the information revealed by studies conducted by such researchers as Creekmore (1987), Cruickshank (1967), Doyle, Anderson, and Halcomb (1976), and Steinkamp (1980), which tested the effects of visual distractions on participants with ADD/HD . These studies did not use learning tasks and used distractions that are not typical to an elementary classroom. This study attempted to answer the …

Financial Aid As A Predictor Of Retention At A Two-Year College, Cheryl Davids

All Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the likelihood that the type of financial assistance a student receives is a predictor of retention at a two-year college. The institution utilized in the study is a mid-size, public, two-year college in South Carolina. The effects of five distinct types of financial assistance on retention were investigated. The types of financial assistance include Federal Pell Grant, Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship, South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) Tuition Assistance, a combination of South Carolina Education Lottery Tuition Assistance and Federal Pell Grant, and a combination of Legislative Incentive for …

An Investigation Of Proportional Thinking Among High School Students, Kirsten Dooley

All Dissertations

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics suggests that formal proportional reasoning instruction take place during grades five through eight (1989). While extensive research has explored both pre-instructional and intra-instructional student proportional thinking strategies, little research has been done on post-instructional proportional thinking strategies used by high-school aged students. As proportional reasoning is fundamental for success in Algebra and other advanced mathematics, it seems relevant to verify that these students retain their reasoning abilities and can apply them in both high school and college mathematical situations.
This study sought to: (1) determine whether high-school students from specific rural, low-income school …

Using Social Network Analysis To Investigate Potential Bias In Editorial Peer Review In Core Journals Of Comparative/International Education, Biao Cheng

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores potential bias in the editorial peer-review system within the context of the field of comparative and international education. Assuming the role as “Guardian of Science” and “social status judge” (Zuckerman & Merton, 1971), peer-review, the quality control system of science, directly affects the growth of science, scientists' academic career and their institutions. The very basic tenet of the peer review system is its assumed objectivity. Bias in editorial peer review process, however, is inevitable. The constitution of the blind peer review mechanism is itself a simply undeniable acknowledgement of that fact. Therefore, this study investigated potential peer-review …

The Effects Of Parent Involvement On The Reading Achievement And Reading Engagement Of Students Participating In A Balanced Reading Curriculum, Ledonna M. York

Student Work

This study evaluated the reading achievement scores and reading engagement outcomes of second grade students, in an urban magnet center, whose parents were randomly selected to participate in active parent involvement training (APIT; n = 13) sessions compared to information based parent involvement training (IBPIT; n = 6) sessions. Results of the pretest posttest two group comparative study examined (a) reading achievement scores as measured by (i) Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills 6th edition (DIBELS); and (ii) Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE); and (b) reported reading engagement frequencies as measured by student (i) school absences, (ii) …

"Is Someone Reading Us?" Fourth Grade Students Respond To Postmodern Picture Books, Elizabeth Anderson Swaggerty

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this naturalistic case study was to gain understanding about the comprehension strategies successful readers employ as they construct meaning while navigating through postmodem picture books. Participants were eight fourth grade students from a large suburban elementary school in Tennessee. Data included transcripts and field notes from ten individual think aloud sessions and five group book club discussions.

Themes identified from the think aloud sessions related to the ways in which students navigated through postmodem picture books include: emotional responses, general story problem solving and postmodem story problem solving. Themes identified from the group book club discussions related …

An Historical Analysis Of The Presentation Of Controversial Issues In Journals Published By The National Council For The Social Studies (Ncss): 1973 - 2003, Kimberlee Anne Sharp

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the stance the NCSS has articulated regarding the teaching of controversial issues across a thirty – year time frame, 1973 to 2003, and to determine the extent NCSS journals presented controversial issues of importance over that period. A corollary purpose was to identify the major controversial news events for each decade in order to determine the breadth of coverage of controversial issues articles in the NCSS journals. The journals examined for this dissertation were Social Education, Social Studies and the Young Learner, and Middle Level Learning.

One thousand eight …

Secondary School Principals' Perceptions Of The Value And Impact Of High-Stakes Tests On Content And Mode Of Instruction, Clifford Davis Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Critics of government policies that expand the use of high-stakes tests in public schools claim that these tests have a negative impact on student learning. At the building level, these policies have resulted in a great deal of pressure for educators to raise student performance on these tests.

The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school principals' perceptions of the value and impact of state-mandated tests on content and mode of instruction. The entire population of 541 middle and high school principals from public schools in Tennessee was selected to participate in this study.

Secondary school principals reported …

Weaving The Threads Of Relational Connectedness Between Women: Exploring How Women Make Meaning In Their Lives Through Relationships With Other Women, Lee Ann Alley Jolley

Doctoral Dissertations

The dearth of research on women's female friendships might suggest that a woman's relationships with her girlfriends are less important than her relationships with her partner, children, or parents. Few researchers have focused on the closeness of female friendships despite the fact that those studies that have been conducted have found those friendships to be significant, and over the course of a woman's life, of great importance to her growth and development.

This study took a phenomenological approach in order to understand the lived experiences of women regarding their female friendships, focusing on how women make meaning in their lives …

Community College Students’ Perceptions Of Their Rural High School Mathematics Experience, Caroline Munn Best

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study explores mathematics education from the perspective of community college students who are recent graduates of a rural high school. The research questions relate to the students’ perception of their understanding of rural, their rural high school experience, the factors that contributed to their preparedness or lack of preparedness for college-level mathematics, and the effect that their rural education had on their preparation for college. Students enrolled in a mathematics course at a suburban community college in East Tennessee were asked to complete a survey after midterm of fall semester 2005. Information about the location of their high …

Screening Mammography Compliance In Rural And Urban Women In Tennessee, Kathleen Conroy Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

Between 1990 and 2002, breast cancer mortality rates decreased by over 2% each year. Regular screening mammography is largely credited with the decline as it permits detection of breast cancer at its most treatable stage. In the United States approximately 75% of women over forty years of age report mammography screening within the past two years. However, rates vary by age, income, education, and residence.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of screening mammography compliance in women living in rural and urban areas of Tennessee; as well as the associated risk factors with special emphasis on …

Parent Perspectives Of Family Involvement In Children’S Education: Doing Whatever They Think It Takes To Help Children Grow And Succeed, Regina Marie Curran

Doctoral Dissertations

Research shows that when families are involved in their children’s education, children’s academic achievement increases. However, parents’ views of their roles in their children’s education do not always mesh with what school administrators define as family involvement. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ perspectives on involvement in their children’s education. The research question that guided this study was, “What do parents perceive family involvement in children’s education to be?” The tradition of inquiry used in this study was the grounded theory method that focuses on the emergence of a theory rather than the testing of one. Fifteen …

Portfolio-Based Writing Assessment: An Investigation Of Postsecondary Practices, Sharynn Owens Etheridge

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary focus of this study was to identify the commonalities of portfolio-based writing practices as occurs in existing literature; to determine how portfolio assessment is used in postsecondary English programs; to assess whether portfolio-based writing produced improvement in student knowledge and skills; and to determine the impact portfolio-based writing assessment has had on departmental practices. To achieve this end, the researcher designed and administered a questionnaire and conducted follow up telephone interviews with Writing Program Administrators (WPAs) at colleges and universities with established portfolio-based writing assessment programs. Follow up mailings of questionnaires, electronic mailings, and telephone calls were undertaken …

Scenes From The Margins: A Participatory Action Research Study About The Praxis Of Womanhood As A Different Way Of Working In Male-Dominated Professions, Jane Bingham Henry

Doctoral Dissertations

“Scenes from the Margins” is about the experience of women working in male-dominated jobs. Jobs are gendered. They are not gender neutral as we had supposed, as the people who hired us had supposed. Jobs that have traditionally been done by men are done in a masculine way. The masculine “way of working” is not a way that women can work: either it doesn’t fit them (as in what to wear and where’s the restroom) or it doesn’t suit them (as in not conditioned to act that way) or it represents behavior expectations contradictory to expectations for female behavior (as …

A Study Of Japanese Ell Students In Mainstream Classrooms, Kazue Fujiwara

Doctoral Dissertations

In today’s educational arena, English Language Learner (ELL) children have to exert a great deal of energy to be accepted by their mainstream peers. They often shun their primary languages and cultural practices in an effort to become assimilated into the mainstream.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current socialization practices experienced by particular Japanese ELL intermediate schoolchildren in Masonville (pseudonym), East Tennessee. Much of my interest was sparked by Vygotsky’s (1978) work on the sociality of learning. Through this qualitative research study, I was able to present an in-depth understanding of issues surrounding these children and …

An Investigation Of The Dependability And Standard Error Of Measurement Of Words Read Correctly Per Minute Using Curriculum-Based Measurement, Brian Charles Poncy

Doctoral Dissertations

Generalizability (G) theory was used in two studies to assess the variability in words correct per minute (wcpm) scores caused by student skill and passage variability. Study one was a small “n” study with a sample of 14 third-grade students and study 2 had a sample of 37 third-grade students. Reliability-like coefficients and the SEM based on a specific number of assessments using different combinations of passages demonstrated how manipulating probe variability could reduce measurement error. Results of the two studies showed that 69% and 81% of the variance was due to student skill, 20% and 10% of the variance …

Understanding The Role Of The School Resource Officer (Sro): Perceptions From Middle School Administrators And Sros, Teresa Renee Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations

The safety of school children is on the forefront of American’s minds. Recent sporadic shooting of innocent children while they were in the care of school officials is once again raising concerns about the level of safety and security on school campuses. It is apparent that it is increasingly difficult to protect these children while they are at school and it is almost impossible for school administrators to do this alone. It is essential that community leaders, school officials, and school communities acknowledge the necessity of intervention programs to ensure that school campuses are safe and secure. One such intervention …